A Bittersweet Victory
by Madame Wolf
Summary: Voldemort and his followers are defeated after they took over Hogwarts. Hermione finds herself retelling the tale to Severus Snape. (Chapter 6 up. I'll write another 3 chapters to have everything I never knew I always wanted!)
1. Celebrations

Chapter One

Dumbledore magically enhanced his voice so it could reach every one of the thousand people gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate the final downfall of Lord Voldemort. Not that Dumbledore would have needed the loud, megaphone-like voice because all ears were waiting for his words.

"My friends," he began, his eyes sweeping over eager faces. "We are here to recognize a...bittersweet victory."

A murmur went through the crowds as he said that. Bittersweet? It was common belief that the good side had suffered minimal damages, only a few dozen Aurors and not even twenty muggle-born had been killed. That was nothing compared to the last time Voldemort had risen.

"There has been far too much death. No one should have died at the hands of Voldemort, but there have been murders. No one should have died trying to stop Voldemort, yet we have lost some of the best Aurors of our time. And," he paused, his eyes lingering on Hermione Granger sitting in the front row. Dumbledore tried to catch her gaze, but she didn't seem to be looking. Her eyes were distant. "No one should have to lose their innocence to that monster." His voice lost its hard edge as he said: "I believe that for now we shall merely lick our wounds and think about the consequences later. Please, enjoy the feast and music." His hand waved along the edges of the wall and tables appeared, laden with every type of food imaginable.

Hermione drew her hood closer to her face, not wanting people to acknowledge her as of yet. Her cloak was large enough to hide every square inch of her body in lovely crimson silk. She knew that she didn't deserve such a rich gift, but her friends insisted that she buy something. Her hands had fallen on the cloak and Hermione had smiled, fleetingly, for the first time in days.

She looked around and saw enchanted instruments playing softly in the background, filling in gaps in conversation and making the mood carefree and light. Her hand began to tap on her thigh, lightly, in time with the music. A hand touched her shoulder and she sat ramrod straight in her chair. Memories came flooding back to her and she had to force herself not to wail in terror.

"Miss Granger, I see you have wrapped yourself up in a scarlet cloak as well as mystery this time."

Hermione turned slightly, not knowing if she should reveal her face to the person in question as of yet. They know your name so there is no point in hiding. "Severus." Her voice was soft.

He stood still, his hands by his side. Thank goodness for all those years as a spy, He thought to himself miserably. Hermione's once tanned face was now white, gaunt and strangely haunted. Her left eyebrow had a slash of a scar cutting through it, narrowly missing her eye. Hermione had straight hair now, as if she were in hiding.

"I've missed you." Severus finally managed, albeit terribly lamely.

"And I you." Miss Granger patted the seat next to her, asking him to sit down.

"May I ask you about your scar?"

"Voldemort was a violent lover." Her voice was flat with distaste.

Professor Snape had to stop his eyes from widening and his arms from wrapping around her. "Uh, perhaps you'd like to start from the beginning."

"The beginning could be fifty years ago when Tom Riddle went to school. Perhaps you'd like to be more specific." Her hands were folded in her lap and she was still tense. She wasn't even fidgeting.

"How about you start from when the Death Eaters stormed the castle and stunned all the Professors." He offered, shifting to get more comfortable.

"Very well." Her eyes met his for the first time and he noticed how mature they had become. "However, once I begin, I will not stop." Hermione raised her hand to stop him from interrupting her. "I will not stop. You will have to listen until the gory end. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Miss Granger." Severus was a little shocked.

"Then, I will repeat my tale from the night of Halloween when I saw the Dark Mark made in the sky, an omen of what was to come."


	2. Revelations

Chapter 2

Harry watched as Severus sat down next to Hermione and proceeded to listen to her talk. With a shake of his head, he looked back to Ron who was talking quietly about the new broom he had received from a fan. His friend had become quite withdrawn lately, and Harry was beginning to get worried. The redhead wasn't his usual self.

"So, it's better than the old Firebolt?" Harry asked, swallowing a mouthful of pumpkin juice.

"Apparently by two and a half stars." Ron sighed wearily. "I don't see why someone should spend so much on me. All I did was help you out of your cell."

Ah, here's the problem. "Ron, you were amazing and you did more than bloody help me out of my cell. You were essential with helping Hermione defeat Voldemort. Who would have thought of enchanting that knife if it hadn't have been for you?"

He smiled a little. "Thanks Harry." The grin faded. "I'm worried about Hermione."

Harry nodded. "So am I. Why is she hiding herself in that cloak? I wish we could find something to make her happy."

"She seems so...grown up. Like my parents." Ron gave a fake shudder, making Harry grin.

"That's what you get from going out with a teacher. Yuck! That's almost worse than when I got troll bogeys all over my wand in our first year!"

Both boys laughed, remembering. Harry looked over at Hermione and sighed. She had changed and he had a hard time believing it was for the better. Ron and he both knew it had almost nothing to do with her relationship with the Potions Teacher, but to do with what she had been forced to do in the past fortnight. She was no longer the stressed know-it-all who worked hard to be the smartest seventh year in Hogwarts, but the most subdued and wisest girl her age.

"Do you think Snape will finally get around to marrying her?" Ron asked, trying to make his face neutral. He hated the idea of anybody being around Snape, let alone actually marrying him.

"He'd better. I talked to him about it yesterday. There is no doubt that he loves her."

"Makes me wonder where our greasy old git went."

"You know it was all an act. Severus," Harry gained a raised eyebrow from Ron at this, "knew that Voldemort wasn't truly gone, just waiting impatiently. Hell, Hagrid knew that! He's not a bad guy."

"Sure. And Professor McGonagall was a hippie." Ron rolled his eyes and looked over to a group of girls that had been flirting with him all night. "I believe I should make use of my celebrity status for a bit." He smoothed his hair and walked over to them.

  
  
  
"Ron and I had been watching Harry practice Quidditch and were heading inside to go to the Halloween feast when they broke through the ancient charms of protection. We hid inside an empty classroom. I think it was a Defense against the Dark Arts room. I can remember how fast my heart was beating, almost like some of that terrible dance music." She grinned then let her face relax.

"I heard sounds of fighting right outside the door and I was shocked when I heard the Killing Curse. Harry was pacing up and down the classroom, muttering under his breath about being trapped like rats. Ron was as pale as chalk and I was trying to engage him in a game of chess. There was nothing we could have done then, anyway.

"The door was blasted off its hinges and a Death Eater entered the classroom. Harry tried to Stun him, but the Death Eater disarmed us all and forced us to move into the Great Hall. When we got there, it was chaos. Students were using hexes and a few were even trying the Unforgivables. Everyone stopped when Voldemort entered the room.

"He said something like 'Put down your wands, or die.' Most believed him. Voldemort waved his wand and all the teachers appeared, floating in the air unconscious. That was when we lost hope because we always thought that Dumbledore would be able to get us through anything. But, there he was, at the will of Voldemort. It was horrible to think what would happen.

"Us students were split from 'Mudblood' to 'Pure blood." The pure bloods were held in the hall to be ransomed back to their parents. The 'Mudbloods' were sent to the dungeons and locked in there in chains. Every day Voldemort would come and see us and if he found a pretty girl, he'd give her to a loyal Death Eater to have. I can remember the terrible suspense that formed in the pit of my stomach when he'd fling the door open and inspect us.

"One day he paused at me and ran his fingers across my cheek, looking into my eyes. It was such an intense gaze that I swear, he looked into my mind and my soul. Voldemort shouted at the guard 'Get this mudblood cleaned up and sent to my chambers.' The guard unlocked my chains and gave me a thorough cleaning with the Polishing spell. He prodded me up the stairs to a portrait of Salazar Slytherin and said the password.

"Voldemort was waiting for me in a chair by the fire. He told me to sit down at his feet and I did. I was so scared and nervous that I think I jumped twelve feet in the air when he spoke to me. Voldemort asked me why I thought I was here and I said I wouldn't want to find out. He laughed at this and thought I should relax. After a while I was quiet. He said I should lie on the bed and wait for him."

Hermione was speaking quite fast now, stammering now and then. Severus took her hand and stoked it, calming her nerves.

"He sat on the chair for a long time, I bet it was just to torture me. Finally, he moved over to the bed and, well...the rest is blatantly obvious." She laughed uneasily.

Severus nodded and waited for her to compose herself and continue.

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A/N: Hi! Umm, sorry that last chapter was a little vague (a little, how about a LOT?). I hope this chapter cleared up some stuff. PS All the characters and stuff belongs to JK Rowling. I'm just messin' with her genius. 


	3. Propositions

Chapter Three

Hermione smiled wanly at Severus. "Thank you for bearing with me."

His eyes were veiled from her. "I do not mind. If you are quite capable, please, go on."

She nodded. "I was told to stay in his rooms, waiting for his return. I don't know how many nights passed, but it was the same. On the..third night, I think, I got terribly upset and started to cry. Voldemort threw a glass decanter at me and it cut my face." She pointed to the scar that ran through her eyebrow. "Needless to say, I didn't make a sound after that.

"The day before Voldemort was killed, he made me follow him around like a dog at his heels. It was so demeaning, especially since he took me down to the makeshift cells where all my friends were being kept. Harry and Ron were there and when Voldemort wasn't looking, I crept over to Ron, Harry was unconscious, and we made plans. I 'borrowed' the guard's wand and transfigured a bar into a knife. That was Ron's idea. I transfigured another bar into a fake wand, gave the real one to Ron and gave the fake one back to the guard.

"That night when Voldemort was asleep by my side, I used the knife to kill him. Of course, no muggle weapon could destroy the Dark Lord, and it was just as well that Harry came in and used the Killing Curse on him."

Professor Snape turned his head to the side, trying to hide the fact his black eyes were full of glittering tears. He cleared his throat and blinked away any moisture left in his eyes. "Hermione, I wish I had been there for you. I promised you that I'd look after you and then I go and get knocked out."

"I don't blame you. Even Dumbledore couldn't stop Lord Voldemort." She tried to smile reassuringly.

Severus put his hand in his deep pockets and found the small box. He fiddled with it. "Hermione, I hate to think that this is rushing things, but I have a ring here for you. Will you marry me?" Snape pulled out the box, opening it as he did.

Hermione gazed steadily at the ring, her heart beating quickly. "Severus, you do realize that if we do get married, I am going to be terrified of our honeymoon. The only taste I've had of all things to do with the flesh has been with Voldemort and that was not particularly pleasant."

Severus' hand shook slightly as he held out the box still. "I would not do anything to you unless I had your full permission. And," he gave her a cheeky smile, one that she had unearthed in her time spent with him, "I would be willing to teach you to enjoy 'all things to do with the flesh.'"

Hermione laughed softly and took another look at the ring. "I would be honored, Severus. Thank you."

He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her hand gently.

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A/N: Ok, a short chapter. I'm going to have a prequel thingie and that will be the relationship of Severus and Hermione. The sequel may be their marriage and stuff. If I get any reviews :'( 


	4. Beginnings

Chapter 1

Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, their breaths catching in their throats. She looked like a princess, floating down the aisle. Next to them sat a weeping Mrs Granger. Hermione had already told them that her mother got a tiny bit 'emotional' at times, especially weddings. _Understatement of the year,_ Harry thought, grinning. Mrs Granger was a lovely woman and always had time for the 'Dream Team' to tell her of their adventures at Hogwarts.

Mr Granger, a tall man with sparse, hair that was going silver, was walking next to his little girl. He looked like he was bursting with pride. It was easy to see that Hermione as a Daddy's girl. She had always gone to her father before her mother for most requests when she had been a child.

Hermione Granger was looking resplendent to say the absolute least. Hired beauticians had done such a good job that Ron was almost kicking himself for wasting all those years with petty arguments. Now he saw her for what she really was. Hermione's hair had become a frame of tamed curls; an uneasy medium between bushy and straight because keeping the balance was a job only for magic. She wore a golden gown after flatly refusing white.

"I know it wasn't my fault Voldemort did what he did, but there is no use lying or hiding the fact." Hermione had told them the day she had tried on dresses. "White is for innocent girls who believe that their man is a dashing prince. Now, Severus _is_ a dashing prince, but that is beside the point." Her grin remained on her face for the entire day.

Her character was almost normal, if you did not pay attention to the fact that she often stared out at space. As well as conveniently forgetting, that she did not hear some of your comments. The worst was how she sometimes she held her head in just a way that it looked as if she was hiding from someone. At least her red cloak was at the bottom of her wardrobe.

Hermione and her dad had made their way to the bottom of the aisle. Professor Snape stood there, looking almost as nervous as the bride did. He was wearing smart new robes of black, but with silver trim. Ron had nearly passed out when he had seen it. His exact words had been "Bloody hell, the git _does_ have something other than solid black!"

Dumbledore smiled at the couple, his old face creasing into even more wrinkles. Hermione could hardly hear him because of the blood rushing in her ears. Her heart was like a drum, beating so loud in her chest that some part of her mind hoped that no one heard her. She looked at Severus and saw his lips moving. Did he just say, "I do?" _Better pay attention, girl!_

"Hermione Granger, this man is protesting his greatest love and respect for you. Do you swear you will love and respect him for as long as you remain together?" Dumbledore said in a solemn voice, waking her out of her daze.

"I do." Her eyes met Severus' and she smiled.

"May you two bask in the mutual trust and devotion you share for each other. You may kiss the bride."

Severus hesitated slightly before kissing Hermione lightly. When they drew back, she had to bite her lip because she really hated having to put a damper on their special day because of a little bit of trepidation on her part.

Music began playing as they walked back up the aisle and to some chairs on a dais. Hermione held his hand and said softly: "I'm sorry."

"What for, Hermione?" Severus was truly puzzled.

"For making our first kiss as husband and wife rather...bland." She made a face which made him chuckle deep in his throat.

"It wasn't bland. It was extraordinary, especially since it was with you. And, it isn't your fault you are still a little uncomfortable with that sort of thing."

As they sat down, Hermione grumbled: "How on earth did I get someone as understanding like you?"

"I'm asking myself the same question, sweetheart."

Harry and Ginny (who had been going out unofficially for at least a month now) came over and took their seats next to Hermione. Ron sat next to his sister, trying not to look as pale as Severus did.

"You guys are such the cute... handsomest couple!" Ginny squealed, almost forgetting to whom she was talking.

"Thanks Ginny." Hermione smiled at her best friend. Her foot pressed down on Severus' in warning.

"Thanks Miss Weasley." Professor Snape said, trying his best scowl on his wife but only coming up with a mild frown. He noticed the food in front of them and suddenly started piling up Hermione's plate.

"Severus, I won't eat all that."

"You had bloody well better. You, my dear, are far too weak. Eat, eat, you're skin and bones!"

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione stifled laughter, reminded dreadfully of Mrs Weasley.

"Yes, _mother_." Hermione said acidly, shoveling food in her mouth.

For a few moments there was a pleasant silence, as they tasted the food, some of which was rather exotic, and enjoyed the company of those around them. Ginny, however, could not be quiet for long.

"Severus," She began, letting the name slide along her tongue, knowing that having a student use his first name would irk him. "How on earth did you and Hermione fall in love?"

Hermione grinned into her champagne.

"Are you trying to suggest, Miss Weasley, that it is an unlikely pairing?" His voice was deadly calm.

"Unlikely, yes. But are a perfect match." Ginny was a very smooth talker.

"Very well." Severus took a deep swallow of the vintage wine and began telling the tale of how Hermione and he had fallen in love.

"I already had a crush on Severus. His silky voice made my skin tingle." Hermione admitted frankly, enjoying a delightful pastry.

"There is no way in hell that I am going to say that I lusted after you before I saw you under a different light." He gave her a shrug as an unwarranted apology. "That would have been a new low; lusting after a student. Even an intelligent, sexy student such as yourself." His devilish grin made her laugh.

"Please, go on." Hermione said dryly.

"Professor, you were trying to tell the tale of how you fell in love. Not flirting with 'Mione!" Ginny exclaimed, in her irritation forgetting that she could call him Severus and not be punished…too severely.

"Hermione had written a particularly fascinating report on the magical powers of plants based on the chemical make up of them."

"Riveting stuff." Ron announced sarcastically.

"Shut up Ron." Ginny threw a pea at him and laughed as he stuck his tongue out at her. She turned back to the Potion Master who had cleared his throat loudly.

"I told Professor Dumbledore that Hermione was an exceptional student, and to say that anybody is correct is a hard thing for me to say. The Headmaster was not surprised by this and said that I should ask her to do some more difficult studies. I wanted to see if it was merely a fluke, so I gave Hermione something that had been nearly impossible to find. How did ancient wizards find out that certain objects had their qualities. There were almost no books whatsoever about it...that I could find.

"Of course, my darling Hermione pulled through for me and had written in invisible ink at the bottom of the research that she had a crush on me. Naturally I did not know it was there, but by accident, or perhaps fate, I spilt some Show-All potion on it. I was not worried about the actual research, more on the loss of the potion.

"Next Potions lesson I held her back, showing her the hidden message and you should have seen the color of the blush. Something quite akin to your proud Gryffindor red, I believe. Hermione told me that, yes, she did have a crush on me and was not ashamed of it. I was...stunned...to say the very least. Suddenly, there was a gorgeous seventh year in front of my desk, telling me that she liked my intelligence and, however sardonic, my wit. For once my mouth moved faster than my brain and I was asking her to accompany me on a walk.

"Soon it was a daily occurrence, walking and talking about nothing and everything. I grew accustomed to her and soon let myself like her. Unfortunately, it took almost losing her to realize how much I loved her." Severus finished, kissing Hermione unexpectedly.

"Aww." Ginny said before punching Harry in the arm. "Why don't you ever say anything like that about me?"

"Oh," Harry straightened his glasses. "I do, right Ron?"

Ron frowned then, far too late to be of any use, nodded. "'Course he does, Ginny!"

  
  
  
  
After dinner, a photo session and the couple receiving gifts from the guests, they retired to their rooms where their luggage was waiting for them. 

"Is it our honeymoon already?" Hermione asked, rather shocked by the news.

"Why, yes, my dear." He looked at her. "You still want to go, right? I can cancel."

She shook her head. "No, we have to go on a honeymoon." She sounded very determined. _Damn that Gryffindor inside her!_, Snape thought, shaking his head with exasperation.

"We want to go to the Leaky Cauldron, ok?" He gave her a pinch of Floo Powder and watched as she followed his directions. 

Severus threw some Floo Powder in himself, as well as the bags. Entering the warm flames, he said confidently "The Leaky Cauldron."

**A/N: Big thanks to Shelly, Luke and Sir Crig ;) who are in quality control now. You guys are too good to me.**


	5. Coming home

Chapter 2 of part 2

Hermione smiled at her husband who was almost dozing off, his headphones still turned on around his neck. She rested her head on his chest, feeling him wake up slightly as he put an arm over her shoulder. The soft rising and falling of his lungs relaxed her greatly as she tried to synchronize her own breathing with his.

It had been a great week, she thought, stretching out her legs as far as she could before touching the chair in front of her. After the wedding, they had gone to Diagon Alley to reach Muggle London. From there, they caught a plane to Italy. Hermione had insisted on travelling like ordinary Muggles, much to her husband's utter dismay.

"Hermione, be reasonable." He had implored her. "We can get there much faster!"

"Severus." With a slight smile, she knew she had him. "Please?"

"I'll make the arrangements." He had groaned, kissing her cheek.

She poked him in the belly, making him wake up in alarm. "Huh?" He asked.

"Nothing, just thought you should know that all that wedding cake is going straight to your hips."

"It is not. I believe it's the Italian food." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before looking around. "How long left on this godforsaken plane? I feel like it's going to fall out of the air at any given moment."

"Actually, it's a good thing you woke up. The steward just came 'round and told us it will be another ten minutes."

"Where did you put your camera?" He asked, cracking his neck in the process.

Hermione rummaged in her carry-on bag for several moments before handing him her camera. Severus pulled out his wand from an extra long pocket in his trousers and muttered a spell under his breath. The camera hissed quietly before making a 'ding' remarkably like an oven timer. He said another spell and a pile of photos appeared in a puff of purple smoke.

"Excellent!" Hermione took the photos out of Severus' hand and started flicking through them. The happy couple was waving at them in front of the Coliseum. "I'll make a copy of that and give it to my parents. They loved it when they went on their honeymoon there."

Severus watched the young woman as she sorted through their photos, her face open with amusement. He caught himself when he realized he must have been staring. Hermione looked at him, her eyes soft. "If we weren't already members, I'd ask you if you wanted to be a part of the mile high club."

He laughed, remembering how Hermione had whispered in his ear that she thought she was ready to consummate their love. Unfortunately, it hadn't been in their extravagant rooms of the hotel, but rather in the cramped bathroom of the plane.

"Well, doesn't matter. Soon we'll be home and you can start redecorating the house as you wish." Severus had admitted that the house his parents had bought for him, when he had left home years ago, was almost precisely, how the builders left it. He had filled the place with the bare minimum to survive when he wasn't at Hogwarts.

"And then I have to go to school." She murmured.

"And then you have to go to school."

Hermione had finally given in to her desire to be a teacher and had enrolled in the finest Teaching Academy the wizarding world had to offer. They had snapped her up in an instant, going gaga over her excellent marks and references from all the teachers at Hogwarts.

"This is your captain speaking," A voice on the speaker announced scratchily. "Please buckle your seatbelts for landing. Thank you."

Hermione and Severus adjusted their seatbelts and chewed furiously at the gum Hermione had thought to bring. After everyone's ears had popped, the airplane touched the ground and taxied to a halt. Snape began picking up their items, ushering Hermione out of the plane as soon as the steward opened the door.

"Remind me never to use Muggle transport again." He grumbled, looking at his watch. 

"Afraid not. I asked my parents to pick us up."

As much as he hated cars, he loved his in laws. They were crazy, zany, and a lot of fun to be around. He put an arm around her waist and they walked into the arrival lounge. A short woman in high heels suddenly hugged him, making him almost choke.

"Hey there Carol." He grinned weakly, rubbing his neck.

"Hey Mum, hey Dad. Did you miss us?" Hermione asked, giving both her parents a bear hug.

"Of course we did!" David said, his eyes twinkling.

  
  
  
"Severus, have you heard about the time Hermione got herself locked in the bathroom?" Carol asked, turning down the radio.

They were in Hermione's parent's sports car. After years of waiting for the kids to grow up, they had finally decided they could spend some money on a car that did not have roof racks. Severus looked up and said, before Hermione could tell him not to, "No, haven't."

"Dear god." Hermione muttered, sinking into the seat, her face going brick red. She wasn't as embarrassed over her part in the story as she was of her father and the relish in which her mother told it.

"Hermione got herself locked in the toilet when she was little, I think around four. There is a hole on the doorknob of our W.C. You can put a skewer or toothpick through to pick the lock for occasions such as this.

"I kept telling David about the little hole but he didn't listen. Instead he tried to tell Hermione how to unlock the door, and when that failed, he got the broom and went around the back to put through the window to try and undo the lock.

"Naturally, this did not work. So, I used his absence to pick the lock and got my darling daughter out of the toilet."

Severus chuckled, imagining David running around like a knight in shining armor, wielding a broomstick like a lance. Suddenly Hermione sat bolt upright and both her mother and she said: "Turn up the radio!"

David turned the dial and suddenly a strangely familiar song blared out from the speakers.

"I was lost till you were found  
But I never know how far down, I was falling  
Before I reached the bottom  
I was cold and you were fire  
And I never knew how the pyre  
Could be burning, on the edge of the ice field."

Hermione took his hand. "It is Meatloaf: "For Crying Out Loud."

"And now the chilly California wind  
Is blowing down our bodies again  
And we're sinking deeper and deeper in the chilly California sand  
Oh I know you belong, inside my aching heart  
And can't you see my faded Levis, bursting apart  
And don't you hear me crying "Oh Babe, don't go"  
And don't you hear me screaming "How was I to know?"  
I'm in the middle of nowhere, near the end of the line  
But there's a border to somewhere waiting  
And there's a tankful of time  
Oh give me just another moment, to see the light of the day  
And take me to another land where, I don't have to stay  
And I'm gonna need somebody to make me feel like you do  
And I will receive somebody with open arms, open eyes  
Open up the sky and let the planet that I love shine through  
For crying out loud, you know I love you  
For crying out loud, you know I love you  
For crying out loud, you know I love you  
I was damned and you were saved  
And I never knew how enslaved  
I was kneeling, In the chains of my master  
I could laugh but you could cry  
And I never knew just how high, I was flying  
Ah, with you right above me."

He listened, wondering how Muggle music could make him feel like this. Hermione smiled at him softly. "When you proposed to me, this song was going through my brain. I never really compared you to song before, but now it seems eerie."

He brought her close to kiss her, right before the luxurious sports car smashed into a vehicle that, according to witnesses, "Just appeared out of no where!"

And the strange thing was, in neither of the two cars were there any bodies.

Tune in next time...*hint hint* 

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**A/N**: Thank you to all of you who reviewed. You guys rawk. Hermione's parents are based on mine because I think she needs a reason to be studious. To get away from the weirdness in her family! Oh yeah, The song is by Meatloaf and I LOVE this song. It is really beautiful and emotional and I heard it in the car today and it reminded me a lot of the Severus/Hermione kinda relationship. There's a lot more to it than the few lines I put on the fanfic. Again, thanks to Luke, Shelly and Sir Crig for your help! 


	6. Dark Clouds on the Horizon

**Disclaimer**: I do not own this. This is not mine. Everything is JKR's. No wait....no, everything is her's. I'm just playing around! Oh, and if you don't like this pairing...I don't care so don't make it my problem. 

Chapter 6

Hermione woke with the pain as if she'd been smashed into a brick wall. Her mind started working through what had happened. The honeymoon, driving with her parents then...Her stomach turned with the memory of twisted metal and blood. Why was there always so much blood? Hermione could almost hear her mother's screams and Severus' rasping shouts. Thoughts of her husband and parents made her open her eyes.

'Ah, mudblood.' The voice sent shivers down her spine, but of fear. Nothing like the shivers she got when Severus talked to her.

Hermione realized that someone was holding her chin, moving her face up into the light so they could get a better look at it. She would have wrenched her head away if there were any strength in her. As it were, she felt completely drained.

'You've taken quite a battering. I apologize. The car meant to be only a carrier for the Transportation Spell.' The man let her chin go and it fell on to her chest. Her head felt like a block of bricks. 'It was quite a simple spell with an Impact Activated Charm.'

'It impacted all right!' Hermione said thickly, laying her head back on a soft pillow behind her. 'Who are you?'

'I, am Lucius Malfoy.' He rose from the kneeling position he was in previously.

Her mind tried to grasp the enormity of the statement. Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban, slowly going insane. She'd seen him when Harry, Ron and herself had killed Voldemort. His right hand man. 'But, you were sent to jail.'

'No, my loyal son was.' Malfoy's eyes had a glint to them,

'Polyjuice Potion?'

'The very same.' He turned and began to walk out the door.

'Hey, where are you going?' Hermione said in a hoarse voice.

'I'm going to your husband. He still needs a healer. His wounds were as bad as yours were.' He looked over at the Dementors that Hermione hadn't noticed a moment before. 'Mind that she doesn't get out of the bed until I get back. Not that I think she is physically able to do that right now. Security, you understand, right, mudblood?'

Hermione looked with horror as one of the Dementors moved over to her with an effortless glide.

_She looked at Harry who was standing next to the door, wand in hand._

"I locked it." Hermione said behind him. "None of those bloody Death Eaters will be able to make it through the hexes without turning into something worse than Draco Malfoy."

"But, that means we're trapped!" Harry cried, beginning to pace.

"At least we're alive, Harry."

His eyes traveled to Ron who was looking like he'd seen a ghost. The freckles were incredibly dark against his pale skin, and his eyes were wide.

Hermione turned the table into a game of Wizard's Chess. "Anyone for a game? I'm not going to let down the guards until I believe it's safe."

They both glared at her. Time passed...

Hermione shook her head, trying to escape the memories. Unfortunately, there was no Professor Lupin to give her chocolate or create a Patronus. The Dementor lingered.

_A soft hand, smooth and cool, touched her arm. Why couldn't he be rough, forceful, made me want to kill him? Rage could be very handy when one doesn't have a wand or a potion up one's sleeve._

"Ah, mudblood." His words were the tiniest bit muffled, as his thin lips lay upon her belly. 'For one such as yourself, you are pretty.' Voldemort's hot breath warmed her skin. Traitorous body! 'Your intelligence and power is what I'm after though. We've been doing this for...what? A week? Tonight I will try a little spell on you. If it works, there will be no one who can cross me without turning into a powerless vegetable."

Hermione fled into the little corner of her mind that didn't react when Voldemort touched her. There she waited in the darkness, singing little nursery rhymes to herself. She couldn't tell how long it had been, only that there was a heavy object on her and that it was not moving as violently as it had been before.

She opened her eyes and saw that he was, indeed, asleep. Her hand went under the bed, searching for the blade. A cold, metal item met her fingers and she lifted it from the floor. The candlelight made the knife look dangerously beautiful. Without a thought to what she was doing, she plunged the dagger into Voldemort's back. His body arched in pain, and his throat gave voice to it.

Blood flowed freely from the wound, making everything, including the lovely silk, crimson. Hermione looked at him, noticing the anger in his red eyes.

"Mudblood, you will soon feel the wrath of the Dark Lor-"

"Avada Kedavra!' Harry screamed.

Hermione smiled at him, not concerned at the body over the top of her, or the sticky blood that covered every square inch of her skin. 'Thank you, Harry.'

'I believe you've had your fun, Lucius. Call off the Dementor.' Snape's cool voice came as a shock to her. She had a husband and friends. She wasn't underneath a dead body anymore.

'A few more moments, Snape. You can have your toy back in a minute.'

'Now.' His voice receded into the buzzing sound that came over her ears when the Dementor shoved her back into her worse memories.

_The water surrounding her was icy. Hermione thought she remembered a time when it had been hot, but she had spent so long in the bath that all the warmth had left it. She turned her arm around, inspecting it._

There were still handprints on her body.

Hermione had noticed them when Harry and Ron had carried her out of the blood and silk of Voldemort's bed. She had merely nodded her thanks to them and retired to her room. There, she poured steaming hot water into her bath and climbed in. She had worked the scrub brush so many times over her body that her skin was red and raw. Nevertheless, Hermione could still see, as if painted in ink, the hands covering a part of her arm, one on her belly and chest and another around her neck. They wouldn't come off.

Cold water splashed on her face and she gasped. Severus was looking at her, dark eyes shadowed with concern. 'Lucius has released us. Apparently, all he wanted to do was show me his new army of Death Eaters and ask me to join again. I told him I'd think about it. I think he's gone insane.' He looked as though he would have told her more, but thought better of it.

'And his son is the one in Azkaban.' Hermione clung to her husband's arm as they walked.

'Especially since his son is in Azkaban. The loss of a child can be terrible on a fragile mind like that. He does have new Death Eaters though. We'll have to go back to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore. No point going straight to the Ministry. They'd make us fill out forms. At least Albus will believe us.'

'Where are my parents.' Hermione rubbed her face. Her head was aching from the heavy duty healing spells and the Dementor's "fun".

'Back at their house. I sent them through the Floo as soon as Lucius let us go.' He suddenly stopped and looked at her. 'Are you all right?'

She nodded, still a bit dazed. 'I'll be fine.'

'You passed out once the Dementor touched you. I wish I could have helped. I didn't want to push Lucius over the edge. In his mental state, he has conveniently forgotten that I was a spy.'

'It's ok.' Hermione smiled wanly at him. 'Come on, you. I want to get to Dumbledore before Malfoy dresses up like his mother.'

Severus didn't understand her muggle reference.

  
  
  
'Are you both alright?' Dumbledore looked at them over his half-moon glasses.

'I'm a bit sore.' Hermione said. Although talking with Albus had made her feel better, she felt worn out and achy all over.

'You should be! Suffering a car crash and a Dementor's Caress is not pleasant. I believe Madam Pompfrey has some remedies for it, so why don't you head down there now, Hermione?' Dumbledore spoke kindly, smiling at her.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. She stayed still. 'Professor Dumbledore, perhaps you have me confused with a student?'

He stared at her, his blue eyes intense. Hermione felt her hands shake and to hide this, she curled them into fists. Much to her disbelief, Dumbledore laughed. 'I beg your pardon, Mrs Snape. I am sure your injuries need nothing more than a chocolate frog and some rest tonight.' He gave her the said sweet and watched her smile. He turned to Severus, though, as what he said concerned the Potion Master.

'Severus, if Lucius is, as you say, insane, then he should be taken to hospital.'

'I'm afraid that would be impossible, Headmaster. His lord would not allow such a thing.' Snape's face darkened.

'His Lord? You mean Voldemort?' Hermione asked after chewing madly on the chocolate.

'Of course not, Hermione.' Snape sighed. 'Peter Pettigrew escaped us once again and now has all the powers of Voldemort.'

'But...how?' She frowned with worry.

'The Dark Lord's Will.' Severus ran a hand through his hair. 'Lucius was quite willing to talk about it. He even showed me the document. Apparently,' His mouth twitched. 'Voldemort gave Peter Pettigrew his powers when he died. A magical and legally binding paper was used. When Harry finished him off, Peter became everything Voldemort was.'

'Severus, that is impossible.' Hermione admonished, her bravado hiding a small seed of fear in the pit of her stomach.

'Alas, no. With Dark Magic, almost nothing is impossible.' He took a sip of the tea Dumbledore had poured. 'We are in big trouble. Already he is grouping those who stood for everything Voldemort did. Lucius has so many connections...' Snape shook his head.

'Do you think it is safe to send you back there to spy?' Dumbledore asked.

'Yes.' And 'No!' were said by Severus and Hermione respectively.

'Why, and why not?' Albus looked at Snape first.

'Lucius is away with the birdies. He doesn't remember that I was a traitor. Peter was never at a Death Eater meeting.'

'You can't make him spy again, he's my husband for goodness sakes.' Hermione felt herself getting teary eyed.

'I can't make him do anything he doesn't wish to do, just like I can't stop him.'

'I'll go anytime you need me to, Albus.' Severus avoided eye contact with Hermione, preferring to study the teacup in his hand. Porcelain. Lovely.

'I believe that we shall wait until they make the first move. As it is, they are nothing more than Pinky an the Brain.' Dumbledore winked at Hermione as she left the office with her husband.

'Hermione?' He asked tentatively.

'Yes?' She drew it out until it sounded like a snake's hiss.

'I'm sorry.' If Hermione didn't look like she were about to punch his jaw, he would have cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

'Sorry for what? Being too much of a nice guy to say no?' The chocolate was quickly catching up with her.

'Not a nice guy, just a desperate man wanting redemption. Is that too much to ask for?' He began hoping that classes would last for the end of the argument. If students saw him like this...

'Is it too much to ask that I can have you for myself for a solid week?' Her whisper broke his heart. 'And if Lucius remembers you, how will I ever manage without you?'

He placed a warm hand around her waist, pressing her to him. 'Nothing is going to happen to me. And besides,' She looked up and saw a lopsided grin, as if it was out of practice to smile. 'Last time something bad happened to us, I married you.'

She punched his chest playfully. 'You can be such a smart Alec sometimes.'

  
  
  
**A/N**: Ugh, I know. Worst chapter yet. Anyway...Yay to my reviewers. You guys think I plan this? Wow. Umm thanks.   
To English Toffee: Thanks for the ideas. I had a *fair* idea of where I was going with this one, because I usually come up with them JUST as I'm trying to get to sleep after staring at my computer screen for hours. I write them down in a notepad near my bed and then forget about them. I've done this like twice, but my flashback scenes are nearly word for word.   
To Sir Crig: You shouldn't give me praise, dude. You're like a friend. But thanks anyway, matey!   
To Stevie: Yo thanks dudette. This chapter was helped along by you SO MUCH because when he went looking for coffee tables and then we forgot about them and bought DVDs...I was thinking all about how Draco could be the one stuck in Azkaban. I have no idea why, but you moved along my thought processes!   
To Everyone: I apologize for the 2nd chapter where Harry gargles. Ok, he doesn't, but he says something whilst swallowing pumpkin juice. Either I should say after or add that Ron wipes juice off his robes. I tried this on the phone with Stevie. She was actually pretty impressed. 


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